Abstract
Background and Objectives: Ureaplasma urealyticum is a member of mycoplasmataceae family. Lack of a rigid cell wall and smallest size of genome among free living bacteria; have restricted its biosynthesis and growth abilities. The existence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (formerly known as T- mycoplasma) in human was first recognized by Shepard in 1956. Since then, Ureaplasma urealyticum has taken part as a main causative agent in various diseases like non-gonococcal urethritis, prostatitis, balanoposthitis, Reiter's syndrome, etc in males. The aim of the current study was to assess the incidence of Ureaplasma urealyticum in men with non-gonococcal urethritis.
Materials and Methods: Two hundred male patients suffering from urethritis and fifty healthy men as control group were investigated. From each patient, urethral discharge (183 cases) or in some cases (17 cases) fresh urine samples were collected. Following tests were carried out in urine sediments and urethral discharges (in control group only discharges were examined): wet preparation, Gram and Giemsa staining, the samples were cultured on blood agar, MacConkey agar, PPLO (Pleuro-pneumonia like organisms) broth supplemented with urea.
The urease positive cultures were selected and sub-cultured on A8 mycoplasma agar medium. Suspected colonies after 2, 3 and 5 days incubation at 37ºC were identified by standard methods.
Results: Niesseria gonorrhoeae was detected in 56/200 (28%) and Trichomonas vaginalis in 3/200(1.5%) men. Out of 141 cases of non-gonococcal urethritis, 29(20.56%) of them were urea broth positive which in incubation on a solid media, 27(19.14%) grew completely and according to characteristic colonies were identified as Ureaplasma urealyticum.
Conclusion: Isolation of 27(19.14%) Ureaplasma urealyticum among studied population showed that this organism has comparatively high prevalence in patients with non-gonococcal urethritis.